Composite Ceramic Floor Panel with Embedded Fall Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing concrete slabs used for porch and extension balconies are difficult to maintain and are prone to contamination, absorption of moisture and oils, and lack effective fall protection, making them unsuitable for easy cleaning and safe use.

Innovation Solution

A ceramic composite floor panel with a stainless steel grid embedded in a connecting layer on the back of a fine stoneware ceramic tile, providing fall protection and a non-porous surface for easy cleaning, where the grid is designed to be fully embedded and not protrude from the tile edges, ensuring a quasi one-piece construction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If concrete slabs are used for balcony flooring, then cost is reduced, but maintenance difficulty increases and contamination resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovecostVSAvoidmaintenance ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines ceramic tiles with a supporting structure embedded in a connecting layer to create a composite floor panel. This composite construction integrates the aesthetic and cleaning advantages of ceramic surfaces with the structural requirements of balcony flooring, resolving the contradiction between cost-effective concrete and easy-to-maintain surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent specifies that the ceramic tile front must have a glazed surface that is not open-pored. This non-porous characteristic prevents absorption of moisture, oils, and fats, directly addressing the maintenance and contamination resistance issues while maintaining the cost-effectiveness of the overall solution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If concrete slabs are used for balcony flooring, then material availability is improved, but fall protection capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial availabilityVSAvoidfall protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting structure is embedded within the connecting layer on the back of the ceramic tile, creating a nested configuration. This integration ensures that the fall protection structure is permanently attached and cannot be separated, directly addressing the reliability issue while maintaining material versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The connecting layer serves as an intermediary medium that bonds the ceramic tile front to the supporting structure. This intermediary layer ensures secure attachment and provides the necessary mechanical connection for fall protection while allowing various material combinations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Shape

If the supporting structure surface area is reduced to be smaller than the tile, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but structural coverage is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic appearanceVSAvoidsupporting structure coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting structure is designed with local quality - it provides full structural support and fall protection functionality while having a reduced surface area that does not protrude beyond the tile edges. This localized configuration maintains aesthetic appearance while ensuring adequate structural coverage through proper embedding in the connecting layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The ceramic composite panel offers improved maintenance by being easier to clean, resistant to contamination, and provides effective fall protection even if the ceramic tile is damaged, allowing for higher construction heights and retrofitting of multi-storey buildings while maintaining structural load-bearing capacity.

Implementation Method 1

a bonding layer for bonding the ceramic tile and the supporting structure to one another

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesion: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP3306008B1Composite ceramic floor panel
Publication Date: 2019.05.22 TROCKLE HERBERT
  • EP3306008B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3306008B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3306008B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a ceramic floor composite panel for prefabricated and/or attached balconies, comprising a porcelain stoneware ceramic tile (2) which has a base plate (3) made of porcelain stoneware and providing a front (4) and a back (5) and a glaze (6), wherein the glaze (6) is arranged on the front (4) of the base plate (3), wherein a fall protection in the form of a supporting structure (7) is embedded in a connecting layer (8) arranged on the back (5) of the base plate (3), wherein the supporting structure (7) is a stainless steel grid having longitudinal and transverse bars (9, 10) and having a surface area that is smaller than the surface area of ​​the ceramic tile (2).